Tianjin City Office

Ellis Wu  has worked with Heritage of America and Dr. Nieto on a number of educational programs since the early 1990s.  He has made contacts and established relationships and programs throughout China for Heritage of America in cities including Tianjin City, Beijing, Shandong,Shanghai, Chengdu, and X'ian, and Baodi.  He introduced us to our good friends Zhang FuLing and Sun ZhiHong in Tianjin City at the Bohan Elementary School, and Guo BaoKui and Yang ZhiCheng of the Nankai Educational Bureau.  In additon, he developed strong programs in higher education with several Chinese universities for Heritage of America. Of special significance, Mr. Wu provided tremendous leadership and introduced us to Ms. Ma Zhimin, Principal of Kindergarten No. 21 School in Tianjin City, who exposed us at Heritage of America to the incredible abacus program.  The Kindergarten No. 21 School and it's teachers have been recognized world-wide for their teaching methods and contributions to the abacus program.  Due to the impressions of the tremendous educational gains and accomplishments which we witnessed with the abacus program in China, we decided at Heritage of America to invite Ms. Ma and her teachers to Bakersfield to give us a two week training workshop on how to teach it to our students (see photos).  Superintendent Ken Chapman of the Beardsley School District who had traveled to China on several occasions to visit Chinese schools, helped us immensely to make this educational experience a reality. Ms. Ann Georgian of the Kern County Superintendent of Schools,  who also traveled to China and observed the abacus program the previous year,  also assisted us with this training program in Bakersfield.  In 2005, Ms. Ma and several of her world recognized abacus teachers came to Bakersfield the previous year, for a two week program to train American teachers in the use of the abacus.  We still have a desire to expand this program at Heritage of America to other teachers and school districts in California, the U.S., and to other countries.

Photo (above): Dr. Nieto and Ken Chapman with Director of the Tianjin City Heritage Branch Officer Director, Ellis Wu, and his staff.

Ms. Ma also was part of a semester long program with other educational administrators and teachers of the Nankain Educational District, entitled the International Cross Cultural & Academic Development Certificate Program (I-CLAD)  through the Dean of the School of Education, Dr. Sheryl Santos of California State University Bakersfield with Heritage of America, that came to Bakersfield in 2002 to study under the auspices of CSUB, Heritage of America, and Dr. Nieto.  Long term educational relationships were established as a result of this program.

Photo (above): The International Cross Cultural Language Development Certificate Program with the Tianjin Nankai Education Bureau (I-CLAD)- 2002.  Principals and teachers from the Nankai School District took courses through Heritage of America and California State University Bakersfield and received a Certificate from Heritage and CSUB.  Click on photo to enlarge.

Ellis Wu has additionally provided leadership in bringing numerous delegations of educators and students from all levels of education to Bakersfield.  Mr. Wu was also very critical in coordinating the presentations of Dr. Nieto and Ken Chapman with Yang ZhiCheng at the "2007 UNESCO Nankai International Forum on High Quality & Harmonious Development of Education" in Tianjin City, China in October-November 2007 (see photos below).

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